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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — It speaks volumes of the Wisconsin women's hockey program that it has a chance to set another national attendance standard this weekend.
But those involved will tell you it's a shared achievement.
The Badgers have drawn the four largest single-game crowds in NCAA history, including a record 13,573 that watched a Western Collegiate Hockey Association duel with archrival Minnesota at the Kohl Center on Feb. 15, 2014.
Top-ranked UW will try and surpass that mark Saturday at 4 p.m. when it hosts St. Cloud State in a WCHA series finale at the 15,359-seat Kohl Center.
The meeting will come a day after the clubs open the series at adjacent 2,273-seat LaBahn Arena.
The game Saturday will mark the fifth time that the Badgers will use their "Fill the Bowl" promotion to try and make turnstile history.
Tickets for the event cost $1 and fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Community Action Coalition.
Wisconsin introduced the "Fill the Bowl" concept in 2008 and promptly drew a then-record 5,377 fans. Similar presentations were made in 2011 and '12, pushing the bar to 10,688 and 12,402, respectively.
The fact that advance ticket sales are nearly 12,000 begs the question: Does this level of interest say more about the four-time NCAA champion Badgers or their fans, who regularly sell out LaBahn?
"It's a combination of both," said UW coach Mark Johnson, who has 413 career victories and an .818 winning percentage in his 14th season at his alma mater.
"Early on, 10, 12 years ago, you're trying to sell the product to the community and challenge people to come out and watch it.
"Obviously, some of the players that we've had, some of the teams that we've had, some of the success that we've had, the community has embraced it.
"They still don't have to come if they choose not to, but they choose to come because they enjoy what they see."
Some perspective: Two NCAA Frozen Four entries last March, Boston College and Clarkson, drew 8,244 and 6,353, respectively, for their entire home seasons.
Freshman winger Alexis Mauermann grew up in Janesville and recalls making many trips to the Kohl Center to see the UW men's team play.
"It was always a thought in my mind that it would be so cool one day to play there," she said.
Mauermann marvels at all the people who show up to see the Badgers.
"It's amazing that we have so much (attention) for women's hockey," she said. "A lot of places aren't as fortunate as we are, so we love it."
One of seven freshmen on the Wisconsin roster, Mauermann said she's anxious to get a feel for the uncommon atmosphere.
"We're used to big crowds, but this is definitely going to be one of the biggest we're going to play," she said.
Members of the current senior class — defenseman Mellissa Channell, goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, winger Mikayla Johnson, center and captain Sydney McKibbon, winger Sarah Nurse and defenseman Jenny Ryan — were rookies for the last "Fill the Bowl" moment.
All but Desbiens were in the lineup during a 4-0 loss to the Gophers, which put a damper on the big-crowd experience.
"The outcome wasn't what we wanted," Ryan said this week. "We want to redeem ourselves."
UW is expected to be at full strength for the Huskies, including Desbiens, who's been sidelined since mid-December with a knee injury suffered while playing an international game for Team Canada.
Johnson, the coach's daughter, said for her first go-around she was more focused on "pretending like it's not making you super-nervous" to play in front of so many people.
Now?
"We've realized how special it is," Mikayla said.
"We're already lucky for all the things we get. Now, on top of it, we get to go do something special like this. It's something you won't forget."
Ryan, an alternate captain, said she didn't know what to expect the first time she played before a record crowd at the Kohl Center.
"Stepping out and actually seeing how many people came out to see us play was amazing," she said. "It's a really special moment to see how many fans care about our team so much.
"We've played hockey all our lives and never been able to play in front of that many people, so it's really awesome to have that chance.
"It's definitely a loud environment. You know there's a lot of people, but you can't necessarily see them all."
Back in the pre-LaBahn days — it was unveiled in 2012 — Mark Johnson recalled practicing at the Kohl Center and wondering about an event like "Fill the Bowl."
"Wouldn't it be cool if we got our players an opportunity … to play in front of 8,000 or 10,000 or 12,000 people," he said.
After all, it's not just the players who get a charge out of them.
"Those evenings are special," said Johnson, a former UW, Olympic and NHL standout. "The coaches enjoy those moments as much as the players do."
The Badgers (18-2-1 overall, 13-2-1 in the WCHA) are fresh off staging a public skate at Vilas Park and a Hockey 101 clinic for kids. Now comes an opportunity to gather food for the needy.
"We're helping people while playing the game we love," Mauermann said.
If another attendance record falls against the Huskies (6-14-2, 4-11-1) then all the better.
"I think it says a lot about the women's hockey game in general," Ryan said. "Obviously we've come a long way. Ten years ago I don't think this many people would come out and watch."
It's a unique arrangement.
"It says something about our fan base and how special Madison is just in itself," Mikayla Johnson said. "Being able to get that many people to come and support a women's hockey team is pretty cool."
